Improved device for repairing boiler-tubes



PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD CLARK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR REPAIRING BOlLEPt-TUBES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,7 l 7, dated Septemberl, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLARK, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented anew and improved vdevice for repairing the tubesand iiues of boilers and other tubular steam or water apparatus; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference bein g had to the accompanyingdrawings, form ing part of this specification.

The tubes and ues of steainboilers and other steam and water apparatusgenerally give way or leak iirst at their connection with the tube-sheetor near their mouths. My invention'consists in the combination of what Iterm a spring-gland, composedV of a split ring of Wroughtiron, or othersuitable metal, having a cylindrical exterior and conical inte- Iior,and a iianged thimble ot' cast or malleable ironhaving a conicalexterior, so applied within the mouth ot the tube or iiue that thethimble expands the gland against the. interior of the tube or flue-andmakes it close the leak.

Figure l in the drawings represents a longitudinal section of a portionof a tube and corresponding section of the tube sheet and of the glandand thimble, and a side view of the apparatus by which the gland isdrawn into its place. Fig. 2 is an axial section of the spring-gland.Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of thethimble. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of the contrivance for drawingthe gland into place, taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in theseveral figures.

A is the tube, inserted into the tube-sheet B and secured in the usualmanner by expanding or bulging it out, asV shown at a a in Fig. 1, onthe inner side ofthe tube sheet, and turning over its end, as shown at bb in the same ligure, into a countersink on the outer side of the sheet.Gis the springgland, made of a strip of wrought-iron forged into a taperform in its transverse section, with one edge, o, quite thin, scarfed atthe ends, and rolled up to form a ring with a lap-joint, d, and with itsexterior of cylindrical form and of such size as to enable it to besprung into the tube A, and with its interior of conical form. D is thethimble, of malleable cast-iron, with a hollow flange, e, to tit overthe end b b of the tube, and against the tube-sheet. The exterior ofthis thimble is of conical form, corresponding with the interior of thegland C, its

largest part being large enough to fit easily into the interior of thetube.

The apparatus for drawing the gland C into its place consists of ascrew-bolt, E, iitted into a nut, F, and washer G, and having pivoted toit, by a pin, f, a head composed of two pieces of plate, (iron orsteel,) g y, of nearly semicircular form, the extreme length of which isjust suflicient to enable them to pass easily along the tube A.

In applying my invention the gland is first inserted into the mouth ofthe tube, with its thicker edge inward, to such a distance that itsthinner edge, c, is within or beyond the bulged or expanded portion a ofthe tube, and then the thimble D is inserted into the tube and glandwith its iiange e up to the tubesheet. The bolt E is then insertedwithout its nut and washer, and with its head g g in the position shownin Fig. l in red outlinethat is to saywith its greatest width lengthwiseof the tube-so far that its head passes the gland C, and then the headis turned by means of a stick or rod inserted through the thimble, tobring its greatest width across the tube, and its washer and nut are puton and the nut screwed up to make the head draw against the inner edge0f the gland and draw the gland over the thimble till its outer thinedge passes the bulged or expanded portion a, and the gland is soexpanded within the tube as to close any leakage. I generally coat thegland both inside and outside, and the thimble outside, with a cementcomposed of red and white lead, with a small quantity of fine east-ironborings, the better to insure the perfect closing of the leak. After thegland has been brought into its place, the nut F is slackened and runback sufficiently to enable the head g g of the bolt E to be turned tothe position shown in red outline in Fig. l, and the bolt is then drawnout.

Instead of the bolt E being inserted after the gland and thimble, it maybe inserted before them, and perhaps this latter method may be foundmost convenient.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The spring-gland O and thimble D, constructed and applied in combinationwith each other and with the tube or flue A, substantially as hereinspecilied.

Witnesses: EDWARD CLARK.

M. M. LIVINGSTON, GEo. W. REED.

